Mastermind Of Manti Te'o Hoax Fell ‘Deeply, Romantically In Love’ With Him, Says Dr. Phil

Jan. 30 2013, Published 10:57 a.m. ET

Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the mastermind of the phony girlfriend scandal that had Notre Dame football standout Manti Te'o at the center of the country's attention, told Dr. Phil in a new interview he's unsure of his sexual orientation.

"Here we have a young man that fell deeply, romantically in love" with the football star, Dr. Phil told The TODAY show Wednesday in promoting the two-part interview.

"I ask him straight up, 'Was this a romantic relationship with you?'" Dr. Phil said. "And he says, 'Yes.' I said, 'Are you then, therefore, gay?' And he says, 'Well, when you put it that way, yes.'"

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Dr. Phil said Tuiasosopo, a 22-year-old California native, later amended his response to "I am confused."

He added that Tuiasosopo "had a number of life experiences that damaged this young man in some very serious ways.’’

As we previously reported, Te'o's purported late girlfriend Lennay Kekua didn't actually exist, a hoax Tuiasosopo later admitted to, and the All American defender said all along he had nothing to do with. In his chat with Katie Couric earlier this month, the NFL-bound linebacker said he's heterosexual.